Halva Ice Cream With Sour Cherries

A decadent vegan treat from ‘V Street.’ Image by Yoni Nimroad

By Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby February 17, 2017

We knew soft serve would be an integral part of our dessert menu at V Street. We did not, however, realize that a soft-serve machine would cost more than some cars or that it requires about a day’s worth of labor to keep it tuned up each week! But the ice creams themselves are so good, so decadent, so downright unfair, we could never turn back. Halva was the first flavor we introduced on our menu. Its creaminess is complemented by the tart flavor burst in the sour cherries.

Serves 4 to 6

1 cup sugar
2 cups soy milk
1 cup tahini
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
Sour Cherries (See below)

1) Bring the sugar and 1 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes, until the mixture forms a thick syrup.

2) Remove from the heat and stir in the soy milk. Let the mixture cool fully before transferring it to a blender. Add the remaining ingredients except sour cherries and blend until smooth. Transfer the contents to a bowl and refrigerate for about 1 hour, or until chilled.

3) Freeze the mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 week.

4) Serve topped with sour cherries.

Sour Cherries

¼ cup sugar
2 cups fresh or frozen pitted sour cherries (substitute any cherry; if using frozen, thaw and drain before use)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cornstarch

1) Bring the sugar and ½ cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, then add the cherries and vanilla extract. Cook until the cherries soften, about 4 minutes.

2) Combine the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water to create a slurry. Add to the cherries and bring just to a boil, then remove from the heat. 3 Once fully cool, transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

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